HC Deb 24 April 1967 vol 745 cc1158-60
Mr. Winnick

(by Private Notice) asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will make a statement on the position of British nationals in Greece, arising from the change of Government in that country.

The Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (Mr. George Brown)

At mid-day I received a report from our Embassy which said that the situation throughout Greece was reported to be calm. However, since then a further attempt by me to contact the Embassy has met with the response that all calls were being refused. The situation therefore remains confused.

With one exception, we have received no reports that any British subjects have suffered materially or physically during the events of the past few days. The one exception is a report just received that two brothers called Olympios, who are citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies and have been resident in Greece all their lives, were arrested during the week-end for security reasons.

The Embassy in Athens is looking into this urgently. We shall remain in the closest touch with the situation and take whatever measures are required to ensure the protection of British subjects and their property.

Mr. Winnick

Is my right hon. Friend aware that many of us are very deeply concerned about the position of British tourists and other nationals in Greece? Is he aware of the widespread feeling of concern in this country that the extreme Right-wing military riff-raff have taken control in that N.A.T.O. country?

Mr. Brown

I do not think that the latter comment will help very much. I doubt whether my hon. Friend knows more than I know at the moment about the situation, and that would not justify either of us in expressing opinions. As for British subjects who are en passant or resident, we shall take whatever steps are required to look after them.

Sir Alec Douglas-Home

The House readily accepts the assurance which the Foreign Secretary has given that he will take all the action necessary to protect British lives. Would it not be more to the point, instead of dealing in recrimi- nations, that we should say how concerned we are that a friend and ally should be involved in these acts of political violence and hope that constitutional government will soon be restored?

Mr. Whitaker

Will my right hon. Friend confirm that Her Majesty's Government do not recognise the new régime?

Mr. Brown

May I suggest that that point does not arise at the moment. My latest information is—and I say this in view of the headlines in our mid-day papers—that the King is not under house arrest. At this moment it is, therefore, quite impossible to decide what status the new régime has, and I think that it will be wise for us to wait a little while to see.

In the light of what the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Kinross and West Perthshire (Sir Alec Douglas-Home) said just now, to see a friend and ally going through this kind of problem and trouble is as much of concern to us as it is to them. Since one remembers how much can flow from this in other dangerous areas of the world, of course we are very concerned.

Mr. Murray

Would my right hon. Friend say what representations he has made about the refusal to accept telephone calls to our Embassy in Athens? Has he made any representations in London about this?

Mr. Brown

I have made very many representations in London, only to discover that the blockage was not here. It is not possible at the moment to say more than that I could not get through. I wanted to give the House, if I could, an up-to-date report based on a talk with our Ambassador there, who is an absolutely first-class man, but I could not get through. I do not think that it is worth commenting any further on why I could not get through.